IBC2024 in review: Three key takeaways

[MattQuirk]

I had the opportunity to catch up with HPE WW Lead Paolo Ceccherini as he looked back on the key takeaways from IBC 2024 including AI optimism, the rise of interactive TV, and increased demand for hybrid cloud models.  Here's what Paolo had to share.  

The future of media and broadcasting looks a little different after each IBC. Exciting innovations emerge every year, but from my perspective, IBC2024 was about really putting those innovations to work for OEMs and their end customers.

As usual, the event was buzzing with optimism, but this was optimism of the measured kind, with the spotlight on pragmatic optimisation strategies as much as it was on cutting-edge technologies.

Now that the dust has settled, here are my three key takeaways from the event.

1. AI is everywhere.

It wasn’t a surprise that AI dominated this year’s event. But there was a refreshing sense of ‘reality check’ about the AI conversation at IBC2024–a dash of healthy scepticism, perhaps informed by an awareness of past hype cycles. What that meant was that the emphasis was placed firmly on high impact use cases, rather than showy exhibition projects.

This was the year of “AI’s leap from theory to real-world applications”, in the words of IBC CEO Michael Crimp. A survey of IBC attendees showed AI to be second on the list of key topics for concern, just below media production workflow. The question on everyone’s lips: what is the real value of AI, and how do we harness it?

Sure enough, there was no shortage of high impact AI use cases on show, not just in automating workflows but also in unlocking new monetization opportunities, from personalised content recommendations to real-time editing and post-production enhancements. OEMs in this space can lead the way in AI-driven innovation by building solutions that tap into these opportunities and deliver tangible business value for their customers.

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2.  TV is closer to the audience than ever.

Looking around the IBC2024 floor, it’s clear that television content consumption has shape-shifted, embracing new formats and cutting-edge distribution technologies.

Watching TV is no longer the passive, laid back experience it used to be. In reaction to the likes of Netflix, traditional broadcasters have realised that they need to change their strategy to survive. By mixing traditional TV with user-generated interactive content, broadcasters are now learning how to captivate audiences like never before.

At the same time, broadcasters and content providers are equally focused on maximizing revenue and minimizing costs in this most competitive of markets. For example, monetizing spectrum capacity was a recurring theme for broadcasters, with its promise of an invaluable and ever-dependable source of added revenue. On the cost saving side, I saw plenty of engagement with AI-assisted, end-to-end automation strategies at our HPE booth.

All of which suggests that a land of opportunity beckons for OEMs to partner with broadcasters and content service providers, help them streamline workflows and costs, and deliver world-class content worldwide.

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3.  Hybrid cloud is the winning model.

While cloud adoption is on the rise, there was a definite sense this year that for the real-time requirements of live streaming, many organizations are turning to hybrid solutions that combine cloud and on-premises setups. 

IBC2024 highlighted the demand for flexible solutions that span both environments, helping to slash infrastructure investments and operational costs for the broadcast industry.

Broadcasters want the flexibility of an architecture that allows solutions to work both today and in the future, and hybrid is proving to be the winning model. I foresee this trend continuing in the coming months and years, and I look forward to seeing HPE’s OEM partners play a big part in helping organisations make the most of hybrid.

Here's to another great IBC, and more proof that things are moving fast in the broadcasting world. It’s exciting to imagine where we’ll be this time next year!

Thanks again to all who stopped by the HPE booth—you made our weekend.